V Foundation for Cancer Research raised 10x year over year with the support of GoFundMe’s live fundraising tools
Mission
Fund game-changing research and all-star scientists to accelerate Victory Over Cancer® and save lives.
Challenge
Evolve digital and in-venue fundraising methods to boost donor volume, acquire new recurring gifts, and exceed fundraising goals during V Week
Solution
Integrate GoFundMe’s live fundraising tools for interactive in-arena activation and utilize GoFundMe Pro’s advanced technology to power mobile-optimized, high-converting digital campaigns
“We are ecstatic with the results from using GoFundMe’s live fundraising tools at the Jimmy V Classic, considering what we’ve raised in-arena in the past, and to onboard all of the new donors to the V Foundation—it’s exciting.”
– Marissa Guy, Executive Director of Direct Marketing
V Week results year over year*:
10x in-arena revenue
with the support of GoFundMe’s live fundraising tools
43% growth
in donation volume with Campaign Studio
25% growth
in recurring gift acquisition with Campaign Studio
*Based on 2025 GoFundMe data and V Foundation-provided data
Evolution of V Week’s digital fundraising strategy
V Week, the V Foundation for Cancer Research’s flagship annual fundraising campaign, typically runs from Giving Tuesday through mid-December to raise critical funds for cancer research. Unlike the rest of the year, when the focus is to keep users on the site longer, V Week prioritizes conversions to make the biggest impact on its mission.
After strategizing with the GoFundMe Pro team, the V Foundation employed the following tactics to improve the donor experience across all channels:
- Campaign Studio donation pages: V Week marketing efforts, including email and digital content, drove traffic to a customized Studio campaign. Social media and ads directed users to an embedded donation form on the V Foundation homepage.
- QR codes: Through QR codes displayed during ESPN broadcasts, viewers were guided directly to the V Foundation’s homepage for effortless giving.
- Splash pages: Embedded donation forms served as quick donation pages, featuring concise copy, simple imagery, and a clear path to conversion from ESPN’s call to action.
- Source codes: Performance was tracked across all segments and touchpoints, enabling personalized communication and effective post-campaign analysis.
With the embedded donation forms, donors can quickly enter the donation flow and use their preferred payment method. Conversion is a huge stat for us, especially during V Week, and we’re focused on making sure people don’t have issues. When they land on one of our pages, they can do what they’re trying to do, which is support the V Foundation.
Driving in-arena momentum with GoFundMe’s live fundraising tools
A major component of V Week is the Jimmy V Classic, an ESPN-operated college basketball showcase held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Jimmy V Classic is a crucial activation, which the V Foundation uses as a high-visibility moment to drive donations. After feeling inspired by other success stories in major arenas across the country, the V Foundation team decided to test GoFundMe’s live fundraising tools.
The V Foundation created a GoFundMe fundraiser as a single place for attendees to donate during the Classic, and announcers were prepped with speaking points to encourage donations. In addition, interactive widgets were displayed on the jumbotron, including a QR code for supporters to easily scan to access the fundraiser and a progress bar to track fundraising progress in real time.
The power of GoFundMe is how familiar it is to younger generations; it makes community-powered fundraising real. By leveraging GoFundMe’s tools, we were able to bring new energy and a single, clear path to donate, which was absolutely critical in uniting our supporters during our biggest fundraising moment of the year.
V Week results grew significantly year over year, raising 10x from in-arena revenue alone. Additionally, the overall campaign saw 43% growth in donation volume and 25% growth in recurring gift acquisitions.*
*Results reflect the V Foundation’s campaign strategy and may vary for other organizations.
